Collapsible vehicle top



Sept. 28 1926a C. 'E.-WOLFERMANN COLLAPSIBLE VEHICLE TOP Filed Nov. 30, 1923 INVENTOR. MW nmw Patented Sept'28, 1926. I I v I arer orrics.

. can]; E. WOLFERMANN. OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ooLLarsrBLE VEHICLE TOP; Application filed November 30, 1923. semi No. 677,701.

:This invention relates to folding tops for which parts are hingedly connected with 55 vehicles and has for its object to provide a I each other at 3'; the rear end of said suppletop of the so-called extension type, which mental member is hingedly connected to the may beraised or lowered Without great efbody at the mainpivot or top support 4:. 5 fort. The top shows a special advantage in This arrangement allows the middle bow to so far that it follows in its width that of the be in a vertical position at or near the door (:0 body,'for the front section is narrower than edge-of the body, and when folded to clear the rearsection. Another great advantage the extreme rear of the bodyby a swinging is claimed for the top because its main bow is movement of its supplemental member 2 thrown ahead by its supplemental member to around pivot 4. 3

the edge of the rear door of the body, thereby A rear bow 6 is hingedly connected to the requiring only a comparatively small number main pivat 4, a brace 10 hingedly conn ct d of windows, or curtains, to close the car ento said rear bow 6 above pivot 4, engages the tirely. An automobile body equipped with vertical member of the middle how 1, hingthis type of top can be used in all weathers, .edl'y at 11 and insures the vertical o'sition in winter as well as in summer, The winof the upper member of middle ow 1. dows can be arranged either to drop into the Brace 10 extends further beyond point'll sides of the body or can be taken out when and is hingedly connected at its upper end to not desired. The top can be folded or raised link 12, which in turn is pivotally connected as desired; a car provided with the same with the front member ofbow" 14 at 19, will in appearance look like an open tourholding the whole structure as a rigid unit ing car with the top folded or like a closed When extended. cabriolet with the top extended. The front bow 14 has also a supplemental Other objects and advantages will hereinmember 13, the latter is pivotally connected after be referred to and more specifically to the main bow l at 11.

pointed out in the claims. A cover 20 and a back curtain 25 cover The annexed drawings and the following and support the whole structure, and when specification set forth in detail a preferred the top is fastened to the windshield 21, bows form of a certain mechanism embodying the 14:, l and 6 are held in a vise like grip.

invention; I am aware that variations of In order to prevent the top cover 20 from some details of construction may be resortsagging, two auxiliary bows 8 and 15 are ined to without changing the principle of conserte'd, bow 8 being pivotally connected to struction and operation of my collapsible vebrace 10 at 7 and bow 15 being jointly conhicle top, and therefore I do not restrict mynected to link 12 at 16. Bows 8 and 15 may 35 self further. than the scope of the appendbe held by loops formed by strips of leather ed claims demands. secured to the top, or by any other means In explanation of the draWingsI wish to known to the art. 7 state that the arrangement of all parts of the To prevent auxiliary bow 15 from sagging, top is the same on either side, and as the a stop 17 has been attache to link 12. r 40 drawings show only a view of one side of the To fold the top I release the top from same, I shall refer in the further dscription windshield 21 and lift the outer end of the only to the location on this one side. bow 14. This movement will turn bow 14 In explanation of the drawings I wish to around pivot 19, thereby breaking joint 18 statei in a downwar'd'direction. At the same time Fig. 1. is a sectional view of the construcpivot 27 will move toward main bow 1,

tion supporting the top mountedon a vehicle hereby swinging brace 10 towards and into body of conventional forms; the dashed lines parallelism with the rear bow 6. This ma- 26 showing the top in its folded position; nipulation will lift and'draw'bow 1 back, to v Fig. 2 is a section on lines a-a of Fig. 1 a position as shown in'dashed lines 26, Fig- 5 showing on a slightly-- enlarged scale the ure 1.

connecting point of the main bowwith the The top is raised by lifting the front how supplemental front bow and brace. 1 1, the rest of the structure will follow easily As shown in the accompanying drawing and take the posltlon, as shown in Ijlg. the middle how 1 has a supplemental part 2, when extended, owing to the combination of the joint arrangement of brace 10 and link 12 with bows l, 6 and 14 and their respective supplemental members 2 and 13.

hat I claim is 1. In a vehicle top of the character described, the combination comprising a middle bow having a vertical member and a horizontal member, the horizontal member being hingedly connected at one end to the lower end of the vertical member, the other end of the horizontal member being hingedly connected to the body, a rear bow hingedly connected to the body at the hinge-point of aforesaid horizontal member, a brace hingedly connected to the rear bow above this point and to the upper portion of the vertical member of the middle how, a front bow, comprising a front member and a rear member, hinged to the vertical member, a connecting link hingedly connected to the front member of th( front bow and to the upper end of the brace.

2. In a vehicle top of the character described, the combination comprising a middle bow consisting of a vertical member and a horizontal member, the horizontal member being hingedly connected at one end to the lower end of the vertical member and at its other end to the vehicle body, a rear bow hingedly connected to the body at the same pivot as the aforesaid horizontal member, a brace hingedly secured at its upper end to the vertical member of the middle bow and at its lower end to the rear bow, and a front bow hingedly secured to the aforesaid vertical member at the same pivot where the brace is hingedly connected and being sup ported by a link which is hingedly connect ed at one end to said front bow and at the other end to the upper end of aforesaid brace.

3. In a vehicle top of the character described, the combination comprising a middle bow consisting of a vertical member and a horizontal member, the horizontal member being hingedly connected at one end to the lower end of the vertical member and at its other end to the vehicle body, a rear bow hingcdlv connected to the body at the same point as the aforesaid horizontal member, a brace hingedly secured at its upper end to the vertical member of the middle bow and at its lower end to the rear how, a front bow hingedly secured to the aforesaid vertical member at the same pivot where the brace is hingedlv connected and being supported by a link hingedly connected at one end to said front bow and at the other end to the upper end of atoresaid brace, an auxiliary bow hingedlv connected to aforesaid brace, and an auxiliary bow hingedly connected to aforesaid connecting link and limited in its forward movement by a stop.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CARL E. ,VOLFEREL-XXX. 

